Seat sensor problems that can permanently turn off the front passenger air bag has prompted Nissan to recall five of its 2013 models in the US. This involved the midsize Altima, as well as the electric Leaf car, Pathfinder SUV, Infiniti JX35 and Sentra compact.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the “Sensors that determine if a passenger is sitting in a seat may not have met specifications and do not detect a rider. If a crash occurs and no passenger is detected, the air bag may not deploy.”
Nissan did not supply the number of vehicles involved in the recall, when they were manufactured. Nor did they say whether any vehicles in other countries will be added to the recall. However, Dan Passe, a Nissan spokesman at its U.S. headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, said that the automaker “determined a recall should be conducted on February 21, two months after they noticed an increasing number of warranty claims from owners who said their airbag detection dashboard warning was lit.” There have been no reports of injuries or crashes related to this problem.
Nissan is also recalling 482 Sentras in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, made from September 11 to October 4 last year because fuel tanks were not properly sealed. This may lead to a small leak of gasoline when the tanks are filled, Nissan told the NHTSA.
Passe added that no injuries or crashes have resulted from the fuel tank issue.
For more information on these recalls readers can contact their local dealers, or call the NHTSA at 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE, West Bldg., Washington DC 20590 at 888 327-4236
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